The Lost Sentinel

6 Arriving at Mount Gi.

Tan P.O.V

Rhine takes me to what seems to be the kitchen on the ship. Its massive with a long table and a number of chairs to the side. He moves around the space cooking food.

“I thought we were going to prepare,” I ask, because this is not what I expected preparing going to the ‘death mountain’ that’s what I’m calling it now, will be like. The death mountain, I can’t imagine what that place will be like – a place where creatures and people go to gain power by fighting to the death. 

“We will. I just want to eat first,” he says with a shrug. But it feels like he’s stalling.

I wonder why.

“You also don’t think I can do this,” I say. He looks at me and there is no questioning the look in his eyes.

“I’ve never sent anyone to Mount Gi. Maybe I am doubting myself,” he wheels himself to the stove to check the pots cooking there. “And besides. I might be sending you to your death. I need a bit of strength for that.”

I keep silent because I don’t know what to say to that. I watch him cook. And I help him set up the big table for three.

Hanika shows up just as we are about to sit down and eat.

Rhine sits at the head of the table. And Hanika and I sit facing each other. She doesn’t say much. But I can feel she’s not happy with the situation.

For someone who wants to save the world she is reluctant to do so. I know I am not her precious Master Gin, but I am willing to try.

Once we are done eating, Rhine pushes away from the table.

“Follow me,” he says. I look at the dirty dishes. “I’ll get them done later. You need to go. I have already set the course to Mount Gi, and I think we have arrived.”

“You made peace with killing me already,” I joke. But no one laughs.

Okay, awkward….

I follow Rhine with Hanika close behind me. I follow him to the control room. As we come in I can see that the scenery outside has changed. In front of us is a lump of rock dotted with tiny lights and dark patches. Ships moved in slow motions towards the lump of rock. Some were already moving away.

“Is that it?” I ask. I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe a mountain with a lot of trees – I don’t know something magnificent and scary – like the death mountain I have been imagining.

“Yes, you’ll see when we dock,” Rhine says going to the controls to navigate the ship. We get closer and closer until it rocks into what looks like a docking bay.

“Let’s go,” Rhine pushes his wheelchair out of the room to the door that I walked in not long ago. Now, I wish I hadn’t.

He comes to a stop at the door.

“Hanika will take you in. You have two weeks to cultivate your power. Your other half will do the same on earth by absorbing power from artefacts. Whatever you do, stay alive. You have Master Gin’s power inside you, harness it.” Rhine slams his fist against a button in the wall. The door whooshes open.

“And oh by the way, whatever happens to you here will affect your other half, so be careful.”

I take a deep breath and then walk through the open doorway. My body quakes as something passes through me. I look back and see my body standing there next to Rhine looking dazed.

What…?

 I guess I didn’t understand what he meant when he said ‘your other half’.

“Keep walking,” Hanika says coming up behind me. I keep walking even though I feel fear gripping my insides. “You will surely die if you show weakness here,” her words slam into me, and straighten my shoulders.

We walk down rickety steps that lead into a hollowed out rock. As we enter the space a spotlight appears above me. Everyone who had been walking around stops and stares at me. A computer screen appears next to me. I turn to it. And I see that everything about me is written there:

                                      Fighter: GH42067

Name: Tan

Age: Nineteen

Occupation: Thief

Race: Human (Master Gin’s reincarnate)

Special abilities: N/A

Possible powers to be cultivated: power to wield all Five elements (Wood, Water, Fire, earth and metal) and form bonds with Magical Beasts.

Status: Entry level

Lodging on Mount Gi:  Level D (room 204)

Important Notice: Beginners are to make their way to level D of Mount Gi. First fight scheduled for two hours from now. Messages will be posted here for the next fights. To access this panel, place your right hand over your heart.

Good luck J

I stare at the panel. Things have just gotten real. I take a deep breath and slowly release it. My next fight is in two hours. I turn to Hanika ready to tell her that I can’t do this.

“This is as far as I can go,” Hanika says. She stares at me taking a step back. Her face looks stricken and I feel like she’s abandoning me like my parents did – leaving me for the foster system to raise. “I’ll keep your other half alive. And we will search the earth for artefacts. The power he absorbs will help you here. Stay alive and fight as hard as you can to wake the power within you.”

I put on a brave face and nod.

She nods and then turns away. Her long hair flows behind her as she disappears.

“You will surely die if you show weakness here.”

Her words echo in my mind as if she has spoken.

Okay, I say to myself turning around to look around me. All types of creatures were here – humans, aliens (creatures I can’t identify). They move around following a mail box shaped robots with computer screens for heads.

Okay, where do I go from here? I ask myself turning around looking for level D. That’s where the panel said I should go.

But the hollowed out rock doesn’t have any directions I can see. Everything is just a mess of corridors I don’t even know where they lead.

I come around again. I find there in front of me is a robot that looks like the others that I saw the other fighters follow.

On its screen its written: Fighter: GH42067

I remember on my panel that is the number I was given. I guess this robot is going to be guiding me around.

Words type on its screen: Follow me to your lodging – Level D (room 204).

“Okay,” I say even though I don’t know if it can hear me.

It wheels around and then silently moves. I follow the robot down one of the corridors. The ground beneath my feet changes from rock to meshed steel, painted black. Other creatures are going this way too. We all form a line.

There are too many of us. No one speaks, since we might have to fight each other later. I wish Mak was here though. He was the one who was into movies like this. He would know what to do.

I stuff my hand in my pocket, and I feel the coin there.

Wow, he came with me.

Knowing a piece of him came with me is comforting.

The robot takes me to my room. The room is made up of the same meshed steel that is on the floor. It seems to have been welded into the rock. But there are gaps between the rock and steel that lets in the mountain breeze, and sunrays. Roots protrude from the rock surface, creating weird shapes. The room is nothing to look at. There is only a bunk bed with a thin mattress and thinner blankets. And that’s it.

I’ve been in bad situations in foster care. At least here I have my own room.

I walk to the light coming through the gasps. I didn’t even realize it was day time here. I wonder what happens when it rains, water will surely come through here.

But don’t have time to worry about that now. I have my first time to get ready for.

My stomach squeezes in fear.

I feel like I’ve just been thrown to the wolves.